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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Brunch at Mistral

Among the cities most celebrated fine dining restaurants, and one of my personal favorites for french cuisine that achieves the eloquent balance of being sophisticated and comforting is Mistral. For 15 years Mistral has been catering to crowds of longtime regulars and newcomers a like, welcoming Bostonians into a contemporary space tastefully decorated with Provencal inspired accents. On Sunday morning the restaurant is bright and airy as opposed to the dramatic low lighting that envelops during dinnertime. A handsome slate floor underfoot, rows of potted cypress trees climb towards soaring ceilings which meet sweeping yellow curtains and pale green upholstered booths. The rustic-chic bar and lounge area is empty at this hour, but the dining room is bustling. It was my first time here for brunch (you can read my dinner review here. Also - I didn't formally review it on the blog but they do a great job during restaurant week!) To start we were served moist crumb cakes wrapped up in a neat and tidy package. Alongside came a duo of soft, creamy butters, the apple was definitely a nice touch. They offer an array of fancy breakfast cocktails and although I was still a little fuzzy headed from the night before, I knew one would do me some good. The Strawberry Bellini ($10) was equal parts sweet and fizzy, laced with a juicy house made strawberry puree. It presents a fresh alternative to the same old mimosa (though you still have the option to keep it traditional.) My friend ordered the GrahamCracker Crusted Challah French Toast ($15) which came with vanilla poached seckel pear and mascarpone chantilly. This brunch staple can usually benefit from an inventive twist, the graham cracker crust added an extra layer of both a mildly sweet flavor and slightly crunchy texture. Additionally, the syrup presentation was rather charming in a vintage looking glass bottle. A skillet of hearty Lyonnaise Potatoes come with the french toast, they are tender and well seasoned laced with slightly charred red onions. I wish I could have enjoyed more of these Provencal style home fries, but I had my work cut out for me with a large skillet containing Confit of Duck and Root Vegetable Hash ($19) with three sunny side up farm fresh eggs. I though the confit was exquisite, the range of textures beautifully done with flavorful meaty bites mingling with crispy seared pieces and the root vegetables, particularly the carrots added genuine brightness necessary to offset the rich and succulent duck. The eggs were not especially runny but still gooey enough to add their ideal compliments. The roasted cherry tomatoes were a perfect finishing touch. Not unlike dinner, brunch at Mistral is certainly a worthy splurge, where a fanfare of Southern French inspired cuisine celebrates the region with consistently excellent food and cocktails.

Mistral doesn't get much play anymore, and it's one of my favorite restaurants. I don't think they're capable of serving a bad meal. I have wanted to go there for brunch for a very long time, and the current menu looks fabulous!